Legs

Tasting wine term

The streaks of wine that form on the inside of a glass after swirling, also known as tears.

Why it matters

The formation of legs can indicate the wine's alcohol content or sugar levels. Higher alcohol content typically results in more pronounced and slower-falling legs due to the Marangoni effect, where differences in surface tension caused by alcohol evaporation create the streaking effect. However, legs are not necessarily an indicator of wine quality.